1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns dispensers for the contents of collapsible tubes. This dispenser is of the type which substantially completely empties the contents of a tube by advancing a pair of cooperating, flexible squeezers along the tube longitudinally.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Collapsible tubes of the type which are used to dispense toothpaste have long been known in the art. These tubes are usually made of an aluminum-like material which is puncture resistant yet malleable so that the tube can be compressed to increase the internal pressure of the tube and propel the contents thereof through an opening at one end of the tube.
Since the advent of the collapsible tube, a method for efficiently and substantially completely dispensing the contents of the tube has been sought. The search for such a method has been necessitated by the fact that when the tube is compressed manually, the fingers depress the tube at discrete areas, leaving pockets of uncompressed tube therebetween.
One attempted solution to this problem was the provision of a metal clip which is placed transverse to the elongated tube with one leg of the clip being on each side of the tube. The clip is provided with a perpendicular handle which can be rotated to wind the clip around an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube. In this fashion the tube is wound into a tight cylindrical configuration to evenly dispense the contents of the tube. This process is seriously flawed, however, in that the contents of the tube adjacent the tube dispensing aperture at one end cannot be effectively dispensed because the key clip is prevented from advancing by the collar of the tube adjacent the dispensing aperture. This process also results in an unsightly, partially wound tube which detracts from the appearance of a bathroom, or other room, in which it is placed.